Exercise techniques may include either upper body or lower body workouts. Some forms of exercise include jogging in place, jumping rope, or plyometrics. Plyometrics includes repeated stretching and contracting of muscles, such as by jumping or rebounding. Some studies suggest that plyometric exercises may help increase bone density, preventing osteoporosis.
One possible drawback of many exercise techniques, such as plyometrics, jumping rope, or jogging in place, is that the exercise is performed consistently on the same surface. For example, a person may jump rope on an asphalt or concrete pad, or a plyometric exerciser may perform a workout on grass or a synthetic surface, such as tartan. On such surfaces, there is typically no ability to alter the characteristics of the surface for the particular exerciser.
Another possible drawback is that certain people may not be able to perform a sustained workout due to the characteristics of the particular surface. For example, when a surface has less rebound, such as concrete, elderly or injured individuals exercising on the surface may tire more quickly than when exercising on a surface that has more rebound, such as a small trampoline. Similarly, because many exercises are often performed on ground or flooring surfaces, such as grass, concrete, hardwood, or tartan, even trained athletes may be prevented from adjusting their workout to suit their particular needs. As a result, it is often difficult for an exerciser to adjust their workout, except by changing the number of repetitions or the duration of performance of the exercise. While the exerciser may be able to perform the exercises faster or slower, or by jumping higher or lower, the exerciser cannot adjust the amount of resistance provided by the surface during a particular workout. Thus, there is no way for a person to adjust the rebound of a given surface to make it more or less rebound resistant.
Similarly, exercises such as plyometrics or jumping rope are often performed outdoors or in an open space. Thus, it may be difficult for a person to maintain a regular cadence during a workout or record the number of repetitions performed. Because the surface is often a ground or flooring surface, it is not possible for a user to calculate the volume of the workout or to verify whether their actual cadence matches a desired cadence when performing a jumping exercise.
Thus, it may be desirable to provide a device with an adjustable rebound. Further, it may be desirable to provide a method for adjusting the rebound of a support platform. It may also be desirable to provide an exercise machine having an adjustable rebound device.